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Writer-director Lucile Hadžihalilović’s The Ice Tower invites comparison to a haunting passage from Dazai Osamu’s No Longer Human. Dazai’s protagonist describes being miles away from home and vomiting blood, which forms “a big rising sun flag in the snow.” Then, as he weeps, the man hears from a distance a little girl saying, “Where does this little path go? Where does this little path go?” It’s one that may as well lead to Hadžihalilović’s film, which abounds in contrasts between blood and snow, among other sensualist pleasures.

Jeanne (Clara Pacini) seems to follow paths wherever they go, without wasting time to wonder where they will take her. She runs away from her foster home in a remote region of France, where her only solace was reading fairy tales to a younger child, Rose (Cassandre Louis Urbain). It’s the 1970s and Jeanne can easily hitchhike...

We didn’t have to wait too long after Earwig (2021) for Lucile Hadžihalilović’s enigmatic new offering, The Ice Tower. The whistling sounds of mountain winds announce the arrival of the Snow Queen (Marion Cotillard), both to the set of a film she’s leading in 1970s France and in the life of 16-year-old runaway orphan Jeanne (Clara Pacini). Loosely based on Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale “The Snow Queen,” the script—co-written by Hadžihalilović together with Geoff Cox—explores the subterranean tensions of loneliness and womanhood in various shapes and forms. While it may as well be considered the most “legible” Hadžihalilović film […]

The post Mirror Mirror: Lucile Hadžihalilović on Berlinale 2025 Premiere The Ice Tower first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

We didn’t have to wait too long after Earwig (2021) for Lucile Hadžihalilović’s enigmatic new offering, The Ice Tower. The whistling sounds of mountain winds announce the arrival of the Snow Queen (Marion Cotillard), both to the set of a film she’s leading in 1970s France and in the life of 16-year-old runaway orphan Jeanne (Clara Pacini). Loosely based on Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale “The Snow Queen,” the script—co-written by Hadžihalilović together with Geoff Cox—explores the subterranean tensions of loneliness and womanhood in various shapes and forms. While it may as well be considered the most “legible” Hadžihalilović film […]

The post Mirror Mirror: Lucile Hadžihalilović on Berlinale 2025 Premiere The Ice Tower first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

If there is a filmmaker whose work can be described as “elemental cinema,” that’s Lucile Hadžihalilović. It’s easy to chronicle her 2015 film Evolution as fluvial for its many water (and underwater) scenes, but also how its rhythmic flow steers the mysteries of a post-humanist plot. One might say that Innocence is earthy with a soil that’s dry––there, the woods are where secrets are concealed––and the San Sebastian Special Jury Prize winner Earwig is as ethereal as it is enigmatic. The way Hadžihalilović borrows from elements serves to alchemize the images we see onscreen, lacing them with a thin veil of unknowability. Yet their meaning is never fully out of reach; these are coming-of-age stories at their core. Hadžihalilović’s newest film, The Ice Tower, was billed as her most accessible work yet, borrowing from a source more familiar than she has before: Hans Christian Andersen’s fairytale “The Snow Queen.

What is it with Lucile Hadzihalilovic and ice? In her last film, Earwig, her central character was a browbeaten little girl without teeth who had to submit to wearing ice dentures, suspended from a cruel metal frame, all day. Her new film turns up the freezing unit to 11 in a long riff on Hans Christian Andersen’s The Snow Queen, moving between the white peaks of the French Haute Savoie, an ice rink and a film set where a version of The Snow Queen is being filmed in what appears to be real snow. It certainly sounds real as Jeanne (Clara Pacini), the young girl Hadzihalilovic sends out into this endless cold, crunches it underfoot.

Like Andersen’s story, The Ice Tower centers on a girl on a quest, a framework that in the original can be read — as in many fairytales — as a mythologizing of the heroine’s growth into womanhood.

A film set is no place for little girls. In the fairy-tale-adjacent world of Lucile Hadžihalilović’s frigid dark fantasy “The Ice Tower,” an orphan runs away from her foster home and takes refuge in the basement of a movie studio, finding herself drawn to the production — and its star, played by Marion Cotillard — the way a child in a Hans Christian Andersen story might be lured into the clutches of a wicked enchantress. Aptly enough, the script they’re shooting is “The Snow Queen,” aspects of which echo through the ’70s-set movie’s many layers, all the way out to us, whom Hadžihalilović hopes to trap in her crystal prism.

Cotillard and Hadžihalilović collaborated once before, early in both their careers, on 2004’s “Innocence,” where the director first planted the unholy seeds she’s still harvesting all these years later: unsettling yet artful projects in which Hadžihalilović depicts the...

Gorgeous and glacial in equally frosty measure, Lucile Hadžihalilović’s “The Ice Tower” is all art-film-only vibes, a wintry 1970s fairy tale about a screen actress who casts a potentially dangerous spell. It’s anchored by an actress, Marion Cotillard, who has one of the great faces, and a classical sophistication with a glamorous, out-of-reach noirish beauty that pairs wonderfully with a creature cut out of Hans Christian Andersen: amorous, elusive, but wounded.

Shot gorgeously in France and Northern Italy by cinematographer Jonathan Ricquebourg — this is truly the most visually astonishing movie so far to premiere at the 2025 Berlinale — “The Ice Tower” will prove an uneasy catch for commercially minded audiences looking for anything more than a mood in feature form. But those wanting to be hypnotized by cinema, as this film really does put you in a state of trance, will enjoy a unique experience from the director of “Innocence” and “Evolution,...

Marion Cotillard shared that, while she plays the enigmatic Cristina in her film The Ice Tower (‘La Tour de Grace’), she found herself intimidated by her young co-star Clara Pacini as the pair prepared to work on the movie.

Cotillard, who won an Oscar in 2008 for her role of Edith Piaf in La Vie en Rose, said at the Berlinale Film Festival:

“We met at my place and I realised I didn’t dare to look her straight in the eyes, I felt very uncomfortable. I felt intimidated by Clara, she is very charismatic. That was the start of our work together, [that connection] already existed between us.”

Discussing her preparation for the role of actress Cristina, she said: “I invented stories, rivalries with actors, failures and flops. I invented her decline, in a sense.”

She added: “Repeatedly, I play mysterious figures, so I want to see that mystery for myself. I...

Two decades after their last collaboration, Marion Cotillard reunites with filmmaker Lucile Hadzihalilovic for “The Ice Tower,” a fractured fable that lifts as much from the work of Hans Christian Andersen as from Hadzihalilovic’s formative years.

Premiering in competition at the Berlin Film Festival, the 1970s-set film follows a young orphan who falls into an hypnotic — and soon reciprocated — obsession with a film star shooting an adaptation of Andersen’s “The Snow Queen.”

“All my films are fairy-tales,” says Hadzihalilovic. “I don’t care to situate my stories in an everyday reality or a contemporary timeframe; whereas the storybook form comes naturally, allowing for poetry and escape.”

Cotillard, of course, plays that regal film star — “a cold, cold woman,” per the director — who doubles as a vision of glamour and a taste of something altogether more acrid. And after working together on 2004’s “Innocence,” Hadzihalilovic now wanted to give...

Is there any star working today with a career as varied as Marion Cotillard? Anyone who has moved as effortlessly between Hollywood blockbusters — Inception, Dark Knight, Public Enemies — and indies (The Immigrant and Macbeth), from slapstick action comedy like the Taxi films — the French pre-Fast and the Furious car racing franchise that first made her a star — to auteur dramas like Rust and Bone, Annette, and Two Days, One Night?

“I just read scripts and, no matter the genre, if it’s a comedy or a drama, when I feel I can bring something to the movie, that’s when I choose to be part of it,” Cotillard says, speaking via Zoom from her home in Paris. “I don’t plan anything [but] I feel very lucky that I can go between totally different worlds.”

The world Cotillard enters in The Ice Tower, which has its world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival on Feb.

Germany’s Studio 100 Film has sealed multiple deals for animated films Miss Moxy and Northahead of the European Film Market.

All rights have been sold for Belgian filmmaker and visual artist Vincent Bal’s Miss Moxy, co-directed with Wip Vernooij,to Poland (Nowe Horyzonty), UK/ Ireland (Dazzler), Bulgaria (Profilms), Hungary & Romania (Ads-Services), Czech Republic & Slovakia (Donart), former Yugoslavia (Blitz), and Portugal (Outsider Film).

The 3D CGI feature is about a cat that gets lost and has to make its way home across Europe. It is aDutch-Belgian co-production by Phanta Animation and BosBros with Eyeworks Film & TV Drama and AVROTROSm...

Germany’s Studio 100 Film has sealed multiple deals for animated films Miss Moxy and Northahead of the European Film Market.

All rights have been sold for Belgian filmmaker and visual artist Vincent Bal’s Miss Moxy, co-directed with Wip Vernooij,to Poland (Nowe Horyzonty), UK/ Ireland (Dazzler), Bulgaria (Profilms), Hungary & Romania (Ads-Services), Czech Republic & Slovakia (Donart), former Yugoslavia (Blitz), and Portugal (Outsider Film).

The 3D CGI feature is about a cat that gets lost and has to make its way home across Europe. It is aDutch-Belgian co-production by Phanta Animation and BosBros with Eyeworks Film & TV Drama and AVROTROSm...

Every now and then, a film comes along that transcends its genre, reshaping the cinematic landscape and becoming something of a cultural phenomenon. Steven Spielberg’s Jaws is one such movie.

Released in 1975, this thriller didn’t just win audiences over; it reinvented the concept of the summer blockbuster. But its influence didn’t stop there. Jaws secured a rare spot in the hearts of filmmakers worldwide, including one of the most celebrated animators of all time, Hayao Miyazaki.

A scene from Jaws | Credits: Universal Pictures

From the pulse-pounding score that sticks to your bones to the ever-tightening noose of suspense, Jaws was a cultural earthquake, setting the stage for the blockbuster era that would follow. And then there’s that shark. It didn’t just swim into our screens—it sunk its teeth into the very heart of Hollywood, leaving a legacy that continues to send ripples through the industry.

Jessica Chastain, Ben Whishaw, Rebecca Hall, Chloë Sevigny, Tilda Swinton and Marion Cotillard were among a first wave of star guests confirmed for the 75th edition of the Berlinale at its line-up press conference on Tuesday.

Chastain will hit the festival as the co-star of Michel Franco’s Golden Bear Contender Dreams, while Whishaw and Hall will attend with Ira Sach’s Peter Hujar’s Day, which plays in the competitive Panorama sidebar. Sevigny is the star of another Panorama title, Magic Farm by Amalia Ulman.

Cotillard tops the cast of Lucile Hadzihalilovic’s Golden Lion Contender The Ice Tower in the role of the enigmatic star of a production of The Snow Queen, who bewitches a young runaway.

Other confirmed guests include Archie Madekwe, who co-stars in Berlinale Special Gala title Lurker; Rose Byrne, who tops the cast of Golden Bear contender If I Had Links I’d Kick You and Lars Eidinger,...

The 75th Berlin International Film Festival (February 13-23) has unveiled the 19 titles set to play in its official Competition and films selected for its new competitive Perspectives strand.

Scroll down for full list

New films from Richard Linklater, Hong Sangsoo, Michel Franco and Radu Jude are among those selected for the main competition, with stars including Margaret Qualley, Ethan Hawke, Jessica Chastain, Claes Bang and Marion Cotillard.

It marks the first Competition lineup from new festival director Tricia Tuttle, who announced the titles alongside co-directors of film programming Jacqueline Lyanga and Michael Stütz in Berlin today (January 21).

All Competition titles...

The 75th Berlin International Film Festival (February 13-23) has unveiled the 19 titles set to play in its official Competition and films selected for its new competitive Perspectives strand.

Scroll down for full list

New films from Richard Linklater, Hong Sangsoo, Michel Franco and Radu Jude are among those selected for the main competition, with stars including Margaret Qualley, Ethan Hawke, Jessica Chastain, Claes Bang and Marion Cotillard.

It marks the first Competition lineup from new festival director Tricia Tuttle, who announced the titles alongside co-directors of film programming Jacqueline Lyanga and Michael Stütz in Berlin today (January 21).

All Competition titles...

Exclusive: In keeping with its start-of-the-year tradition, Goodfellas has rolled out the bulk of its French-language slate for 2025 ahead of the Unifrance Rendez-Vous in Paris next week, and it’s a hot one.

The line-up features fresh additions An Affair by Arnaud Desplechin and Prime Rush by Carlos Abascal Peiró as well as half a dozen pictures that we expect to see at Cannes or Venice later this year.

An Affair marks a new chapter for Desplechin after achieving closure in 2024 with his long-running character of Paul Dédalus through Cannes-selected drama Filmlovers!, which hits French cinemas for Les Films du Losange next week.

New movie An Affair sees Desplechin collaborate with rising French stars François Civil (Beating Hearts) and Nadia Tereszkiewicz (The Crime is Mine) for the first time, in a cast also featuring Charlotte Rampling and Hippolyte Girardot.

Civil plays a pianist who returns to France after a long...

Wicked Box Office (North America): Debut Weekend Update (Photo Credit – Instagram)

Wicked has created history by beating Frozen’s debut weekend collection and even goes closer to Frozen 2’s numbers. The numbers are exceptional, and it is one of the best debuts of all time for a musical adaptation. Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, who are in the lead roles, have been widely praised. The musical fantasy also entered the list of top-10 biggest openings for November releases. Scroll below for the deets.

Frozen is a Disney animated musical fantasy film released in 2013. It is inspired by Hans Christian Anderson’s 1844 fairy tale, The Snow Queen. Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee directed it. It remained the highest-grossing animated film until The Lion King came out in 2019. It won many accolades, including two Academy Awards.

Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo’s musical fantasy opened in the theatres on Friday.

As audiences settle in for an early start to the holiday season with Hallmark movies, a forgotten Disney-style epic remains neglected. Often embraced as a guilty pleasure, Hallmark movies are known for their unrealistic romances, beautiful set pieces, and various gimmicks. However, The Snow Queen is rarely acknowledged, representing one of the most ambitious and unique projects to come out of Hallmark. As Disney and Hallmark both currently seem trapped in repetitive repertoire, this marks the perfect time to revisit the now mostly forgotten The Snow Queen.

Written by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen, The Snow Queen was first published in 1844. A story of friendship, The Snow Queen focuses on Gerda as she ventures to confront the titular winter monarch and save her companion Kai, who was whisked away after being pierced by shards of a magical mirror. Having been retold and reimagined many times over the years, The Snow...

Everything to Know About Frozen 3: What Fans Can Anticipate from the Next Chapter! ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

In 2013, Disney’s beloved animated movie, Frozen, quickly became a global sensation and captivated audiences with a modern take on Hans Christian Andersen’s The Snow Queen. The movie’s success paved the way for a sequel, Frozen 2, released in 2019. Despite Frozen 2’s mixed reviews, the box office success made it possible for the franchise to bring a third chapter, and fans eagerly await the continuing story of Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, Olaf, and Sven. Although Frozen 2 lacks a traditional villain, offering spiritual clarity for Arendelle and Northuldra, its introspective theme, Into the Unknown, sets the stage for new possibilities in Frozen 3.

Here’s everything you need to know about Frozen 3.

Frozen 3 Release Date

Initially, the movie was planned for a 2026 release, but Disney has confirmed that...

Emmy-nominated actress Anya Taylor-Joy has said she is eager to take on the role of Elsa in a possible live-action adaptation of Disney’s hit animated movie “Frozen.” In a recent interview, Taylor-Joy said portraying the ice queen would allow her to show off magical abilities on screen. She also believes the singing, dancing, and acting demands of the role are challenges she is ready to take on.

Known for her breakout performances in “The Queen’s Gambit” and the upcoming film “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,” Taylor-Joy sees potential in playing Elsa. “It would be very fun to shoot ice out of your hand,” she explained to Vogue Hong Kong. As the eldest sister to several young nieces and nephews, Taylor-Joy thinks being Elsa in a live-action film would thrill her family. “I would love for them to be able to say ‘my auntie is Elsa,'” she remarked.

Beyond Elsa’s powers,...

During D23, Disney's ultimate fan expo, a panel revealed some key details about Frozen 3, suggesting that one of the most popular fan theories about Elsa's power may be officially debunked in the third Frozen movie. When the first film premiered in 2013, not even Disney could have predicted Frozen's meteoric success. Loosely based on Hans Christian Andersen's 1844 fairy tale "The Snow Queen," Frozen centers on sisters Elsa (Idina Menzel) and Anna (Kristen Bell). Although the sisters start off as close-knit, an accident with Elsa's ice powers prompts the girls' parents to separate them by isolating Elsa.

Years later, after their parents go missing at sea, Elsa's coronation nears. During the events of 2013's Frozen, Elsa learns to embrace her true self including the good and bad that come with her ice abilities and the sisters reconnect. In the 2019 sequel, Frozen 2, the sisters travel to an enchanted forest...

It’s almost time to build a snowman…for the third time.

Disney’s “Frozen 3” is set for a 2027 release and aim to answer unanswered questions.

Disney’s chief creative officer Jennifer Lee concluded the Disney Animation announcements, unveiling visual development art from musical “Frozen 3.” Created by Britney Lee, it shows Elsa on a white horse and Anna on a brown stag.

Lee wrote and co-directed with Chris Buck the best animated feature Oscar winner “Frozen,” as well as “Frozen II,” which were set around the fictional kingdom of Arendelle and featured a voice cast led by Kristen Bell as Anna, Idina Menzel as Elsa, Jonathan Groff as Kristoff and Josh Gad as the sentient snowman Olaf.

The first “Frozen” movie debuted in theaters in 2013 and was inspired by the classic fairy tale “The Snow Queen,” written by Hans Christian Anderson. It became an instant blockbuster and grossed...

Sixteen years after working together on Wanted, director Timur Bekmambetov and actor Chris Pratt are re-teaming for a sci-fi thriller called Mercy, which just started filming this week – and Bekmambetov has celebrated the start of filming by sharing a picture from the set! You can check it out right here:

Day 1 pic.twitter.com/MZ4AwbIzBp

— Timur Bekmambetov (@Bekmambetov) April 16, 2024

This image reveals that the film is taking advantage of the virtual production method known as The Volume, which uses LED panels as backdrops.

Sporting a screenplay written by Marco Van Belle (Arthur & Merlin), Mercy will be telling a story that is “set in the near future when capital crime has increased” and follows “a detective (Pratt] who is accused of a violent crime and forced to prove his innocence.”

Pratt is joined in the cast by Rebecca Ferguson (Dune), Annabelle Wallis (Malignant), and World Boxing Council middleweight champ Kali Reis,...

Sailor Moon is a classic magical girl shojo and there's plenty of content for fans to revisit and enjoy. Newcomers to the Sailor Moon story may be intimidated about figuring out where to start. Viewers who grew up with the series may have forgotten how great some of the original anime movies are.

It's helpful to have a concise guide reviewing each epoch of Sailor Moon storytelling, highlighting all the best parts of each rendition and story arc. Sailor Moon Crystal is a currently-running retelling of the manga, and there are newer movies that fans who stopped at the episodic series may want to check out. Each part of the franchise is beautiful and has compelling story beats. Hopefully, the Sailor Moon franchise will only continue releasing content, like prequels about the Moon Kingdom backstory, and an anime adaptation of the companion manga series, Codename: Sailor V.

Related Sailor Moon...

Elsa's parents hid her away due to ancient myths of tragic fates for magic users, explaining their actions in Frozen. Deleted scene reveals parents studied magic, showed love for Elsa despite keeping her hidden. The journey to North Sea was driven by parents' desire to find solution to keep Elsa and Anna safe.

Choosing to hide Elsa away always seemed out of character for the kind king and queen of Arendelle, but one deleted scene from Frozen 2 would have shown why such drastic steps were necessary. The Frozen franchise, based off the classic Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale "The Snow Queen", is one of Disney's most popular and profitable series. It follows Elsa, the heir to the throne of Arendelle who is gifted with magical ice powers, and her outgoing sister Anna as they deal with the sweeping and sometimes dangerous consequences of Elsa's magic.

After Elsa accidentally...

Disney movies have a variety of transformation scenes that can be both dark and horrifying or emotionally appealing and impactful for the story and characters. The transformations in Disney movies can have a significant impact on the outcome of the plot and the lessons learned by both heroes and villains. The transformation scenes in Disney movies are often visually captivating and leave a lasting impression on viewers.

Sometimes a movie needs a moment of change to keep the story going, and Disney movies are no exception. As seen through Disney's large catalog of animated movies, many different transformation scenes have made a significant impact on the different stories. Over the years, Disney has created moments of metamorphosis that have had both positive and negative results for their iconic characters.

Some Disney transformation scenes can capture viewers' attention due to their dark animation, dreary music, and horrifying outcomes for the character.

Bille August, the two-time Palme d’Or-winning director, found his creative match with the former Queen of Denmark, Margrethe II, who reinvented herself as a detail-oriented costume designer on his hit Netflix film “Ehrengard: The Art of Seduction.”

The film, which took a decade to bring to life, is nominated for three Robert Awards, the Danish equivalent to the Oscars. A playful royal scandal set in the early 19th century, “Ehrengard: The Art of Seduction” was penned by Anders August and based on a 1963 novella by Karen Blixen, the Danish baroness who was played by Meryl Streep in “Out of Africa.” The film revolves around Cazotte, a young portrait painter who considers himself an expert on love matters and is challenged by the Grand Duchess to seduce a young woman, as well as help her secure an heir.

Margrethe II, who just stepped down from her throne citing health reasons,...

The success of Frozen and Frozen II makes it likely that Disney will develop a live-action version of Frozen, but replacing the original cast poses a significant challenge. Disney must wait until the animated series is complete before producing a live-action Frozen movie to give audiences time to move on from the original films. By creating distance between the animated and live-action versions, Disney can overcome casting challenges and make the live-action remake of Frozen more successful.

The Walt Disney Company has been churning out a relentless number of sequels and live-action versions of some of their most popular animated movies, and Frozen likely won't be immune to the live-action craze. The franchise began with the premiere of the 2013 film Frozen, inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen," and it quickly became one of Walt Disney Animation Studio's biggest releases. Of course, the company would always try to...

The original opening of Frozen featured Elsa being left at the altar, leading her to freeze her heart and become a villain. In the original concept, Elsa and Anna were not related, and Anna would have been a villager trying to show kindness to the bitter queen. The sisterly relationship between Elsa and Anna is what gives Frozen its heart and contributes to its massive success.

The original opening of Frozen would have resulted in a very different life for Elsa. The 2013 animated Disney movie was originally inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's The Snow Queen and proved to be an Academy Award-winning production. With a budget of approximately $150 million, Frozen brought in over $1.3 billion at the box office. It was so successful that it spawned a sequel, multiple short films, two musicals, a play and an in-development threequel.

While Frozen is today known for being a touching story about...

Frozen 3 should pay off the Samantha joke from Frozen 2, as it became a popular running gag throughout the movie. Samantha could potentially be a character in Frozen 3 or one of the franchise's nature spirits, connecting the joke to the main story. Introducing Samantha as Olaf's new friend could set up Frozen 3 and beyond, allowing the film to continue exploring the elemental spirits and Ahtohallan as a source of magic.

New sequels to Frozen are on the way, and Frozen 3 should pay off a four-year-old franchise joke with one obvious way to do it. Frozen debuted in 2013, and it was a major Disney hit. It was naturally given a sequel, which debuted six years later in 2019, becoming the highest-grossing animated movie of all time. With not just one, but two confirmed Frozen sequels, there are many ways to continue the franchise, and honoring one of its most random jokes is one of them.

Disney's announcement of Frozen 4 suggests that a live-action remake is likely, but it will face the challenge of meeting high box office expectations. Both Frozen films were enormous successes for Disney, earning billions of dollars at the box office and establishing the franchise as a lucrative brand. If a live-action Frozen movie is made, it has the potential to become Disney's biggest live-action remake, surpassing the box office numbers of previous successes like Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King.

The Frozen franchise is expanding at a rapid pace, and it's only a matter of time before Walt Disney Pictures orders a live-action remake of the hit film series. However, a potential live-action version of one of the production studio's most successful movies will undoubtedly have to live up to unavoidable big expectations. Both Frozen films have been massive triumphs for Disney, so it's not surprising that the multimedia...

Decade-old Frozen concept art has sparked calls from Disney fans for a darker, more campy reboot.

In resurfaced images posted to X (formerly Twitter), Elsa is shown to be darker and more witch-like, drawing comparisons to Cruella from 101 Dalmatians and Yzma from The Emperor's New Groove. Dancing with snowmen of her creation at her feet, this Elsa showcases a more narcissistic side than fans have come to know, as her sister Anna looks on with slight fear. The concept art, drawn by Claire Keane for Walt Disney Animation Studios, was never used in the final version. While some of Elsa's fear factor remains, her design and implied nature have sparked calls for Disney to reboot the franchise, as well as a return to its hallmark 2D animation.

Cruella Should Have Been an Original Character

Can we do a reverse remake and do a 2D animated version of Frozen with...

Disney fans are expressing concerns about the announcement of Frozen 4 while Frozen 3 hasn't been released yet. Some compare the announcement to the "Toy Story treatment," suggesting that the franchise is being milked. Disney's history of making sequels for their animated hits, both theatrical and direct-to-video, shows that this is not a new strategy for the studio.

Disney fans have expressed their misgivings about the recent announcement that Frozen 4 is currently in development, despite Frozen 3 not even having its own release date yet. Originally based on Hans Christian Andersen's classic tale The Snow Queen, 2013’s Frozen proved a box office boon for Disney, accumulating over $1.2 billion at the worldwide box office and spawning a 2019 sequel that would fare even better, grossing an impressive $1.45 billion. While plans for Frozen 3 were first revealed by Disney CEO Bob Iger in February 2023, the studio boss surprised everyone when he also teased plans for Frozen 4 during a recent television appearance.

Queen Margrethe II of Denmark is adding another title to her royal resume: costume designer.

The royal, who celebrated 50 years on the throne in 2022, served as the costume and production designer for Netflix film “Ehrengard: The Art of Seduction.” The feature was released in September 2023; Queen Margrethe II was not paid by the production companies for her work on the film.

“Ehrengard” is an adaptation of Karen Blixen’s fairytale about a lady-in-waiting who dodges a royal court painter’s advances. Blixen was a Danish baroness who published under pseudonym Isak Dinesen.

“It was great fun,” Queen Margrethe II told The New York Times of working on the movie adaptation. “I hope that Blixenites will accept the way we’ve done it.”

Queen Margrethe II designed 51 costumes and made 81 decoupages, or collages, for the film. The sets were based on her drawings and other artwork.

“I’ve been interested in...

The 1950 animated Disney Princess movie, Cinderella, is finally "Certified Fresh" on Rotten Tomatoes.

Cinderella reached a 98% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes over 70 years after its release. The newly "Certified Fresh" rating comes as a result of a brand-new critic review by Carson Timar. In his words, Cinderella came from "the roughest period in the studio's history," and that despite its relatively simple storyline, Cinderella "remains an effective return to the princess narrative." Timar acknowledged that the level of chemistry between Prince Charming and Cinderella is lackluster, however, the film is simply iconic with its animation and voice acting.

Related: Once Upon a Studio Is a Clear Sign Disney Should Embrace Classic Animation Techniques

Disney's Cinderella Was an Instant Classic

Released in 1950, the classic princess movie is an adaptation of Charles' Perrault's version of the 17th century fairy tale. As with the recognizable film, the story follows an orphaned girl who...

Disney originally planned for Elsa to be a spiteful villain in Frozen, but the story evolved into the beloved version we know today. Elsa was supposed to be voiced by Megan Mullally, but Idina Menzel ultimately portrayed the character and sang the iconic song "Let It Go." The design of Elsa went through several changes, with the first version being a flamboyant, blue-skinned sorceress.

The original plan for Disney's Frozen would have seen Elsa as the villain, and this would have resulted in a significantly different—and likely less successful—story. The House of Mouse had played around with the idea of adapting Hans Christian Andersen's The Snow Queen since as early as the 1930s, but it wasn't until the better part of a century later that a solid concept began development. Still, this was very different from the version of Frozen that audiences know and love because, instead of a tragically misunderstood hero,...

The original plan for Frozen would have made Anna and Elsa tragic characters, with Anna planning to have her heart frozen, resulting in a darker and sadder story. The lack of a sisterly bond between Anna and Elsa would have given the film a darker tone, similar to traditional fairy tales like The Snow Queen. Making Anna and Elsa sisters was a crucial decision that saved the movie, as their relationship and love for each other became the heart of Frozen, giving audiences something to connect with and making the story more heartfelt and personal. Where to Watch Powered by

Frozen is essentially about the love of two sisters, but the animated film’s original plan would have been even more heartbreaking for Anna and Elsa. Released in 2013, Frozen went on to become one of Disney’s most successful and popular animated films. With a central song like “Let it Go,...

Hollywood actress Marion Cotillard is to play the role of the Snow Queen in French female auteur Lucile Hadzihalilovic’s next film ‘La tour de glace’.

‘La Tour de glace’ is expected to be the French director’s most ambitious film to date and will reteam Hadzihalilovic with ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ and ‘Inception’ star Cotillard.

Cotillard had starred in Hadzihalilovic’s 2004 film ‘Innocence’, as per ‘Variety’.

Co-written by Geoff Cox, ‘La tour de glace’ is set in the 1970s and follows Jeanne, a teenage girl who runs away from her orphanage located in a mountain village.

She flees to Paris with big dreams to fulfill and finds shelter in a warehouse which turns out to be used as a studio where ‘The Snow Queen’ is being filmed. The film’s star, Cristina, a beautiful woman in her 40s, takes Jeanne under her wing, exerting a dangerous and overpowering influence...

After starring in Mona Achache’s “Little Girl Blue” which played at Cannes, Marion Cotillard will work with another daring French female auteur, Lucile Hadzihalilovic, on her next film “La tour de glace.”

The long-gestated film marks the first collaboration between Hadzihalilovic and Muriel Merlin, producer at 3B Productions. Hadzihalilovic’s follow up to “Earwig,” which won the jury prize at San Sebastian, “La Tour de glace” is expected to be the director’s most accessible and ambitious film to date. The movie will reteam Hadzihalilovic with Cotillard who had starred in her 2004 film “Innocence.”

Co-written by Geoff Cox, “La tour de glace” is set in the 1970s and follows Jeanne, a teenage girl who runs away from her orphanage located in a mountain village. She flees to Paris with big dreams to fulfill and finds shelter in a warehouse which turns out to be used as a studio where...

Released four years after Snow White and the Huntsman, 2016’s The Huntsman: Winter’s War continued reinterpreting the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm with an even bigger cast. While the first movie revolved around Snow White and the huntsman Eric’s efforts at defeating the evil queen Ravenna, The Huntsman: Winter’s War takes place both before and after this battle. This time around, Eric’s origins in another Queen’s army along with his forbidden romance with a fellow warrior are also touched upon. The ambitious fairy tale epic was directed by the first movie’s visual effects supervisor Cedric Nicolas-Troyan and written by The Last of Us and Chernobyl’s Craig Mazin.

While Kirsten Stewart didn’t return as Snow White, The Huntsman: Winter’s War found Chris Hemsworth reprising his role as Eric and Charlize Theron returning as the vicious monarch standing in Eric’s way. But these two...

It seems fitting that Frozen 2 is a film about change. As the animated sequel was being made, Walt Disney Animation Studios, and especially Jennifer Lee — who directed the original and sequel with Chris Buck and also wrote both screenplays — were going through some pretty big metamorphoses of their own.

The Oscar-winning 2013 musical Frozen, inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's The Snow Queen, followed the tale of two princess sisters, Elsa and Anna, forced to grow up isolated from each other and the world because of Elsa's potentially dangerous magic ability to conjure ice. The film grossed a whopping ...

It seems fitting that Frozen 2 is a film about change. As the animated sequel was being made, Walt Disney Animation Studios, and especially Jennifer Lee — who directed the original and sequel with Chris Buck and also wrote both screenplays — were going through some pretty big metamorphoses of their own.

The Oscar-winning 2013 musical Frozen, inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's The Snow Queen, followed the tale of two princess sisters, Elsa and Anna, forced to grow up isolated from each other and the world because of Elsa's potentially dangerous magic ability to conjure ice. The film grossed a whopping ...

A hot holiday weekend for Disney's sequel! The Snow Queen remained on the box office throne this weekend as Disney's Frozen II was in first place once again with an estimated $85.2 million! The fantasy sequel accumulated $123.7 million over the five-day Thanksgiving holiday period to break the record previously held by The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, which pulled in $109 million…...

The deal was done with Russian sales outfit Wizart.

Russian animation specialists Wizart has closed multiple sales on its autumn market slate including an eye-catching two-film deal with the UK’s Altitude Film Distribution.

Altitude has bought The Snow Queen: Mirrorlands and The Snow Queen: Fire And Ice, the third and fourth titles in the Snow Queen franchise. Fire And Ice will be a home entertainment release, aimed at the Christmas market in November. Mirrorlands will follow as a theatrical release in February 2020.

The Snow Queen franchise has previously been handled in the UK by Signature. The first in the series,...

Simon Brew Oct 11, 2017

Disney has - for now - pulled the plug on its planned animated movie, Gigantic.

Walt Disney Animation Studios has pulled the plug on Gigantic, its long-announced Jack And The Beanstalk-inspired movie. The film had originally been given a 2018 release date, before recently being shunted back to 2020. But now – and this hasn’t happened with an announced Disney animated feature in as long as we can remember (King Of The Elves, based on a Philip K Dick story, is the only one that springs to mind) – the film has been scrapped altogether.

Ed Catmull, president of Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios, released a statement that reads:

It’s impossible to know when we begin a project how the creative process will unfold, and sometimes, no matter how much we love an idea or how much heart goes into it, we find that it just isn’t working.

When Frozen arrived in cinemas in 2013, its quick progression from hit movie to global phenomenon took many by surprise. As it turned out, the world clearly needed a story of sisters helping each other, and friends working together for the benefit of their community. Its global box office take of $1.3 billion earned it a spot in the top ten highest grossing films of all time – ninth, to be exact – and made the prospect of a sequel inevitable. However, there’s been little in the way of news or fanfare around Frozen 2 – until now.

Returning cast member Josh Gad – who plays snowman Olaf – has Tweeted a photograph taken as he began recording lines for the developing sequel:

It’s such a joy 2 back in the booth after this journey began 5 long years ago. The creative team has come up with a story worth the wait #F2 pic.twitter.com/RGYK...

In addition to fall TV and a new slate of prestigious films, theater is gearing up for a new season, both on and Off-Broadway.

This year, there is no shortage of Hollywood star power -- ahem, the Broadway debuts of Amy Schumer and Uma Thurman, the return of Anna Camp and Clive Owen, and the Boss -- as well as anticipated new productions, must-see revivals and the redemption of director Julie Taymor. And the action is not limited to New York as two major musical adaptions get their feet wet with out of town tryouts.

2017 Fall Preview: Et's Complete Coverage

Frozen

Through 10/1

Denver Center for the Performing Arts (Colorado)

Disney’s global animated phenomenon is headed to the Broadway stage with a new musical from composers and lyricists RobertLopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez and book writer Jennifer Lee in February 2018 after a limited engagement in Denver. The Snow Queen-inspired fairy tale and its Norwegian kingdom of Arendelle...

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Frozen, Disney’s Oscar-winning animated movie about two young princesses, is headed for the stage in a musical adaptation set to debut on Broadway in February 2018.

Ahead of its long awaited debut, Disney Theatrical Productions has released the first official look at its stars in costume. Caissie Levy (Elsa), Patti Murin (Anna), Jelani Alladin (Kristoff) and John Riddle (Hans) are seen in designs by Tony winner Christopher Oram.

Disney

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Inspired by the animated film, composers and lyricists Robert and Kristen Anderson-Lopez and book writer Jennifer Lee expand The Snow Queen-inspired fairy tale and its Norwegian kingdom of Arendelle to present a unique live experience for audiences. Lopez previously told Et the story “comes from a very personal, emotional place of what happens when a family is dealing with secrecy and shame and how you heal that.” As a result...

Russian animation studio Wizart has signed multiple international deals for its Snow Queen franchise and stand-alone title Sheep & Wolves.

Sheep & Wolves and the first installment of The Snow Queen are heading to Greece, where Spentzos Film is handling distribution.

Cinemundo has picked up all three installments of the Snow Queen franchise for a theatrical release in Portugal, with the first part set to hit cinemas in June.

Wizart has also signed an agreement in France with Klb for the release of Sheep & Wolves. The movie has already been broadcast by TV network Gulli. Klb will handle its release...